Babygirl movie review

Office affairs when I was growing up were part and parcel of workplace culture. Not to pass judgement on whether that was a good or bad thing, it was definitely a thing but then it got banned.

For the most part, the reason it got banned was that a massive amount of the relationships involved older men and younger women. The women often, not always, were disadvantaged in the power dynamic.

Babygirl, the new movie starring Nicole Kidman, does not fit this old-fashioned mold.

The movie follows Romy, the protagonist high-flying CEO of a robotics company, in her magazine lifestyle; perfect husband (Antionio Banderas); healthy children; money; power. But you soon find out, Romy is bored. Like crazy bored.

And nothing is more challenging to the rich and powerful than boredom. It defeats all their success; it eats at them from the inside.

I enjoyed the female perspective. Kidman does a great job to palpably but subtly portray her pent-up frustration. Leaving the viewer seeing that not all prisons are built with bricks.

With age comes… boredom?

No matter the chemical peels, light therapy, fillers and lifts – Romy is aging. She feels her window for whatever it is that’s missing – satisfaction, excitement, freedom – is closing. Expensive therapy sessions into her hippy childhood, reveal she was raised by her father in communes – and this sheds some light into how she sought control at such a massive scale.

Harris Dickinson’s character Samuel is introduced with a nod to his almost other worldly understanding of  animal nature, something he somehow feels immediately able to apply to Romy from their first contact.

The film gathers pace around this animal magnetism. Samuel seemingly unable to stop unleashing his control, Remy a moth to the flame of her newfound passion.

Babygirl – a polarising film

The film is sexy but I can understand how many people don’t like it. I am a long time Nicole Kidman fan and, in this movie, maybe I have been forgiving but my take on it, is quite a raw reveal as an older woman.

Research shows women have historically maintained failed or failing relationships – forgoing their sexual satisfaction and happiness, rather than lose their partner or their family.

Speaking about the film, director Halina Reijn shared, “I really decided in the beginning, I want to make a sexual film, just as sexual as all these films that I’ve always admired so much, but now I’m going to do it completely through female eyes.”

Power play and exchange

The more of a turn on the sex becomes, the more risky it becomes with Samuel pushing all the boundaries – daring Romy to stop him and take back control. But she can’t because this is what she’s been craving.

Gathering pace and the tension rising, Babygirl evolves into a psychological power struggle rather than just an erotic drama. Romy, initially intoxicated by Samuel’s boldness, finds herself in a precarious position as their dynamic shifts unpredictably. The film masterfully plays with the question of who truly holds the power—Romy, with her wealth, intelligence, and experience, or Samuel, who wields a primal, unfiltered understanding of human nature.

As the affair intensifies, the stakes get higher. The secrecy, the danger, and the potential fallout become as much a part of the thrill as the attraction itself. I had had a few wines but I was into it.

The cinematography enhances this, using sharp contrasts between Romy’s meticulously curated world and the chaotic, uninhibited spaces she shares with Samuel. You can tell she just doesn’t have access to his world without him.

Moments of raw night-club passion are juxtaposed with sterile boardrooms and elegant dinner parties, emphasizing just how divided Romy’s life has become.

Read more: What is BSDM power exchange play?

Babygirl: real or fantasy?

While Babygirl is undeniably provocative, it isn’t without its flaws. It maybe leans too heavily into the fantasy, avoiding deeper consequences that might make the story feel more grounded. As a family man I did think, my girlfriend would know something was up but maybe women are better at hiding stuff, and men less aware?

Samuel, though captivating, remains something of an enigma, with his motivations left too ambiguous. Is he truly drawn to Romy, or does he simply enjoy the power he holds over her?

Despite these criticisms, Babygirl is a rare film that dares to explore female desire with an unfiltered lens. It doesn’t moralize, nor does it offer easy answers. Instead, it presents a woman at a crossroads, torn between the life she’s built and the life she suddenly realizes she might want. Love it or hate it, the film lingers, much like the dangerous thrill of a forbidden romance. I was so glad no one got killed too.